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tony

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Everything posted by tony

  1. tony
    We're all writing about the same general area, I think. The larger houses seem to be east and west of Buffalo Spwy, north of N. Braeswood (which eventually becomes Beechnut.)
  2. tony
    Are the houses on the north side of North Braeswood between Stella Link and Kirby and south of Holcombe/Bellaire? If so, this is a neighborhood that experienced very heavy flooding during Allison. Almost all of the older houses in this street and several blocks north had water in them. Many of the ruined houses have been torn down and replaced by pier-and-beam structures that appear enormous. Some of them do appear in the neo-prairie sytle which I think is appealing in this area. There is much new construction throughout this neighborhood, partly due to the flood and partly due to its close-in location.
  3. tony
    Yes, exactly SD. The subterrainean waterfall is a perfect example of this. Those 'watercooler' vents on top are a little disconcerting but appropriate to this design as they allow a diffuse, natural light to illuminate the upper salons and make the two stark windows overlooking St. Paul's and downtown and the old museum along Main seem less abrupt. The building's stark and modern Binz Street face interacts nicely with the surrounding institutional buildings. Unfortunately, the Beck's back face does nothing for the front entrance to the old and well-furnished Warwick Hotel. I guess that's what they get for cutting that old tapestry to fit.
  4. tony
    OK, a waterfall on a parking garage is an innovative and welcome site. But, that building is meant to be the 'student center' for a part of the med center 'campus' that sorely needed some services not readily available. The 'Commons', as it is called, was a much-discussed project because of its prominent location. It was intended to be a building for fast food, light retail, banking, meetings and a high-end restaurant. Of course, parking was an issue so the businesses would not have to depend solely on pedestrian traffic, and parking was included in the plan like in the St. Luke's Professional building between Main and Fannin. The building does look like a splendid parking garage though. (I don't mean that sarcastically.)
  5. tony
    Not so quick. 'They' did get rid of some low-income businesses on South Main. They weren't exactly selling sandwiches though. (lol)
  6. tony
    I like Jones Hall too. It's very elegant the way it sits on that gently sloping lot and the creamy exterior and tall, thin columns are very pleasing to me. I'm not sure what a bomb shelter looks like on the outside. I agree about the long rows of seats. About ten years ago I attended Diana Ross's last Houston concert. She went unwisely) into the audience and down a long row of seats. She became disoriented and panic ensued because she couldn't get out. She definitely lost it. I agree too with Danes75 about the Meyerson. It's an excellent piece of architecture and easily gets my vote for best place to hear a symphony orchestra in our fair estado.
  7. tony
    I think there was another medical office building scheduled to be built around McGowan
  8. tony
    As far as public buildings go the Moneo addition to the MFAH (the Beck building) is a great example of Islamic architecture, especially its interior and the top floor. The subterrainean patio with its series of cascading pools adjacent to Cafe Express does not work for some reason. It always appears dirty, windswept and uninviting. The new Metro building on the Pierce elevated is conservative but quite nice in its overall impact. I like it. The Texas Heart Institute, hidden from Holcombe Street behind a huge and obtrusive parking garage, is an excellent example of what a thoughtful architect can do. Imo it's among the best buildings built in Houston in the last several years. The uncompleted Harris County court building squats on the downtown landscape like a rear-ended Cadillac waiting to be towed. The people of Harris County need an expanded county court complex. That is undeniable but God save us from being judged by the people responsible for this unfortunate squandering of taxpayer resources.
  9. tony
    Sorry Glen. I can see why you might like it. No wish to offend your sensibilities. It's better at night and it's better when it's on--which, unfortunately, is not most of the time. That building, which btw has a great restaurant on top, is, however. singularly unesthetic and an eyesore (ok, imo) located as it is in the geographic center of the main campus of one of Houston's best assets. Surely we who work there, live in the neighborhood and do the bus-to-train transfer in front of it (me) deserve better. Incidentally, the building houses a garage and many fast food restaurants. Its interior is as bland and unexceptinal as its exterior. The one caveat is the elegant and tony Treviso's restaurant on the top floor, which, imo, is one of the most beautiful restaurant interiors in Houston.
  10. tony
    I agree with you about the nice job TMC did with the old Nabisco complex--even the water tower and the buildings on the back look good. But, 20sgirl, 'learn from TMC's example'? The buildings in the Med center are, for the most part, ghastly. Want an example? Take a look at the new Commons building with its silly seven story waterfall. And, MD Anderson and the UT board of Trustees want the old Prudential building torn down. TMC, the corporation, who I assume holds title to the land and probably owns the building, should be able to prevent this. MD Anderson says the building is obsolete and it has no use for it even though they have offices spread over many buildings. Costly remod? You bet. MD Anderson is a spectacular research hospital and does a lot that is good for our city but I don't think that should give them carte blanche to destroy a neighborhood landmark such as this to put up another 'stairway to heaven' thing like that that's just opened next door. If TMC wants to tear something down, why not that titanic parking garage that spans Bertner along Holcombe and completely blocks views from that heavily traveled thoroughfare into the main campus. It even obscures one of its few stellar buildings, the newish Texas Heart Institute. Nostalgia notwithstanding, that Prudential building, at 50 plus years old, will bite the dust like the old Shamrock Hotel, part of which survives to this day. Parking garages are forever
  11. tony
    It will be another nasty CVS on Montrose. Incidentally, just east of the Texas Women's Hospital campus on Knight Road, UT is building a new dorm complex. The buildings are four levels and designed by the same architects (Kirksey) as the new Hermann building on MacGregor at Main. I hope this building (Hermann) works out. The renderings I've seen so far don't look too promising but renderings can be wrong. That site is prominent and whatever is constructed there will probably be a permanent and very visible mark on the Houston skyline owing to the fact that nothing lies between it and the north side of Hermann Park except trees and a church. There is a new midrise condo up on OST just east of the Greenbriar rail station and about 30 three-level townhouses are under the hammer in the Devonshire neighborhood just south of Bray's Bayou near Holcombe and Cambridge.
  12. tony
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